Annunciator



Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

VERNON DURBIN, or BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIYGNOR To THE HOLTZER- CABOT ELECTRIC COMPANY, or ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

Application filed June 30,

'f able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in annunciators, and more particularly to annunciators which are designed primarily for use on ships.

Annunciators having the usual gravity operated drops are unsuitable for use on shipboard inasmuch as the rolling and pitching of the ship, together with the vibration of the engines, and in war ships,

the shocksk produced by the firing of the guns, tends to cause the drops to operate irregularly.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an annunciator having a drop or target which will not become accidentally released by the jarring or swaying of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to pro- ""1 vide, in an annunciator, a drop or target,

the face of which will be totally hidden from View when the drop is set in normal or inoperative position.

To the accomplishment of these objects, Vthe improved annunciator of the present in` vention consists in the structure hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claim.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of the annunciator with the drop or target occupying normal or inoperative position and showing also, 1n section, a portion of the casing in which the annunoiator is mounted; Fig. 2 isa lview similar to Fig. 1, showing the drop released and in operative or announcing position; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device with the drop released; and Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation thereof.

As shown in the drawings, the movable or operative parts of the annunciator are supported upon a frame 5, consisting of a bent plato having an end piece 6, which is 1919. Serial No. 307,601.

secured by means of screws 7 to the rear of the usual casing 8, and two opposite side pieces 9, extending at right angles to the end piece 6. The frame embraces an electro-magnet 10 which is secured to the end piece 6 of the frame and is provided with a light armature 11 that is pivoted at 12 in the opposite side ypieces 9. The armature 11 is normally retained in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a lightspring 13 but when the magnet is energized thel armature is swung into the position shown in Fig. 2, elongating the spring 13. The drop or target, which is indicated at 14, consists of a plate having a middle portion 15, form ing the face of the drop, and opposed end pieces 16, which areV bent at right angles to the middle portion 15 and embrace the side pieces 9 of the frame 5. The drop 14 is pivotally mountedon a pin 17, which extends through the opposite end pieces 16 of the drop and through the side pieces 9 of the frame 5. Each of the end pieces 16of the drop 14 is Aformed with a recess 18 at the bottom thereof and is provided with a shoulder 19 which projects from one side of the recess and is adapted to engage a projecting lug upon Vthe armature 11. The location of the pivot pin 17 is such that the drop will be maintained in stable equilibrium, irrespective of the engagement' of the lugs 2O on the armature with the shoulders 19 on the drop, when the drop is set in normal or inoperative position, as indicated in Fig. 1, but if not prevented by said lugs would be easily released by vibrations or by a slight tilting of the apparatus toward the left in said figure.

'When the drop 14 is set in normal or inoperative position the engagement of the lug 2() with the shoulder 19 locks and prevents any movement of the drop, even though the device is subjected to yexcessive vibrationj'or the ship mayl rollto any extent. Immediately upon the armature being re tracted toward the magnet, however, the shoulders 19 are released by the lugs 2O and before the armature 11 reaches the limit of its movement,`the lugs 20 engage the sides 21 of the recesses 18 which are opposite the shoulders 19 and initiate the operative movement of the drop 14, after which the drop falls by gravity into the operative orannouncing position shown in Fig. 2. The location of the pivot pin 17 may be such that the drop will be permitted to swing into the position V,shovvn in Fig. 2, by gravity, as

soon as vthe lugs 2O are released from the shoulders 19. In such caseY the engagement, of the lugs 2O with the sides 21 of the recess lwill serve to accentuate the movement oit the drop and thrust it toward operative pos ition. llhen in operative or announcing v position, as shown'inrF 1g. 2,*the drop has moved through an are of approximately l vninety7 degrees and rests With the two bottom edges `252 ofthe end pieces 16, 'bearing' against the lugs 2O of the armature, which f are positioned as shown in Fig. 2, ivlienvthe armature is closed against the ,electro-mag net. VThe Weight ofthe Vdrop is sufficient to hold it in operative position until reset manually, when the spring 13 throws the armature back into the position shown in Fig.-1, With the lugs 20 engaging the shoulders 19. lVhen in this positionthe face of Vthe drop visible through a glass 23, which is in serted in the front of the annunciator casing Si. fAfter the. drop has been reset into normail position, as shovn in Fig. 1, the y:face of.'

the Vdrop Will be totally concealed fromvieiv.

- From the foregoing description it will beapparent that a very -simple and"*ei'iiicientV means has `been provided for positively operating-an annunciator drop by the energization of its magnet and for preventing its operation except When the magnet is energized. Thus the'jarring or swaying to which the apparatus would be subjected it installed-in a ship or vehicle cannot cause accidental operation of the drop. The device i may be manufactured cheaply, without the necessity of machining operations, inasmuch as thelrame 5', thev armature, and the drop may all be diedV out of single pieces ofY flat stock, the frame andthe drop may stamped or bent into the required shapes, andthe whole' yreadily assembled. The device, moreover, is durable andA is not liable to get out of order.

i While itis preferred to employ thespecifie construction and arrangement of parts l shown and describedr it will be understood that this'construction is not essential except so far asspecified in the claims,and'may be .changed or vmodifiedt Without, Ydepartingv from thefbroader features of the invention' The invention having been described what is claimed is A An annunciator having, in combination, an actuating magnet, an annunciator droppivoted adjacent the magnet and having side yplateseach provided with a recessed' Y portion havinga locking shoulderand an ltheannunc'iator drop in one position when the magnet is de-energized and to engage the actuating'abutments to move the drop when the armature is retractedtoivard the vinagneaand a vspring-for retaining the armature in locking position.4

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